Yoritomo Aramasu
Bayushi Aramasu was the son of Bayushi Aramoro and Yogo Asami. Aramasu was for the most part ignored by his father, and his resentment of this led him to fall in with the Kolat early in his life. He was fostered to the Mantis Clan as part of a Scorpion deal between his father and Yoritomo. Aramasu corrected his kolat mistake by betraying them and using their information network to help Yoritomo in his attacks on the Phoenix lands. Yoritomo adopted him becoming Yoritomo Aramasu. Youth Son of a Geisha Aramasu never felt a part of the Scorpion Clan. His geisha mother became a Scorpion by marriage to an aged Yogo. His father had married Asami because she looked almost identical to Bayushi Kachiko, the true love of Bayushi Aramoro. Way of the Scorpion, pp. 64-65 Aramasu never knew his busy father enough, which with time he came to resent. Hidden Emperor, p. 34 Training A Shosuro sensei trained him in all the techniques to be used on the battlefield. Kolat The Kolat invited Aramasu to join his organization to support the interests of the Empire, and he willingly joined, undertaking several missions for them. He came to understand this was a mistake of borne out of inexperience, yet it could not be corrected at the time. Mother's Death Aramasu blamed Aramoro as his mother's murder, and planned his revenge. Geisha House (Hidden Emperor flavor) The Scorpion Deal In 1130 Hidden Emperor, p. 12 Aramasu was fostered to the Mantis as a part of a deal with Aramoro for Yoritomo to hold the Scorpion lands until their return from their exile to the Burning Sands. Aramasu travelled to Mantis Clan lands bearing maps and secrets so Yoritomo could further his power in Rokugan and fulfill his promise to Aramoro. Aramasu initially felt like a tool, but the Mantis treated him well. He came under the personal watch of Yoritomo, who made time to talk with the young Scorpion despite his duties. Aramasu began to see Yoritomo as a real father. A Part of Destiny by Ree Soesbee The Scorpion began to feel Aramasu growing distant and suspected he was changing his allegiance. Aramsu did not return to the Scorpion lands nor did he pass on any information. Clan Letter to the Scorpion #10 (Imperial Herald v3 #2) Shosuro's Bargain Aramasu was visited in Kyuden Mantis by a Shadow-Walker, who ordered to met him again when Kyuden Isawa would be seized. Shortly after Yoritomo told Aramasu that if he could not take the Imperial Throne he would destroy it instead. The Storming of Morikage Castle, Part 1, by Ree Soesbee Betrayal to the Scorpion Yoritomo had begun to prepare the fleet to invade the Phoenix lands when the loyal spirit Bayushi Baku came to the Island of Spice to collect information Aramasu was to have gathered. Baku told Aramasu that Kachiko had ordered he should continue with the Mantis. Aramasu decided not to lie to himself or betray those who had taken him in. Aramasu forsook his allegiances to the Scorpion Clan to join the Mantis. Aramasu swore revenge and death against his father, filled with anger and resentment. Forsaking the Kolat To forsake his Kolat ties, he bartered with the sympathetic Kolat Yoritomo Masasue giving them the locations of secret Scorpion ports. Aramasu gave this information to his new Father, The Son of Storms as well, and these ports were used to launch the attack in Phoenix lands. Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 21 Mantis Invasion of the Phoenix lands In the Mantis Invasion of the Phoenix lands Aramasu himself guided the Mantis fleet to capture the first stronghold in the rocky Isawa coast. Mantis Fleet (Honor Bound flavor) After two years with the Mantis his father requested him back for a last time. The Scorpion Clan had returned to Rokugan and restored as Great Clan. It would not be more chances to take his place as Scorpion. Aramasu told Yoritomo he would not return. Legions, Part VI Yoritomo took Aramasu as his adopted son, making him Yoritomo Aramasu. Aramasu was present in the siege of Kyuden Isawa in 1132. Clan Letter to the Mantis #8 (Imperial Herald v3 #4) In 1133 the Mantis had been defeated by the Phoenix tactics. While Yoritomo was considering to retreat to homeland islands, he was wounded by one of his personal bodyguards. Aramasu charged the traitor and the Son of Storms was able to kill him with his Kama. The face of the dead faded, and Aramasu told about the Lying Darkness. Yoritomo Komori meanwhile had healed Yoritomo with his spells. The Mantis began to cleanse their ranks using crystal to test their kinsmen. Clan Letter to the Mantis (Imperial Herald v4 #2) Oblivions's Gate When the Dragon of Water came to collect Yoritomo and his twenty strongest men to be sped away to fight at Oblivion's Gate, Yoritomo knew his men were still weak and wearied from the war with the Phoenix. He told the Water Dragon that he was his twenty strongest men. Young Aramasu boldly stood with his father and said " And I am twenty-one." Kyuden Kitsune Son of my Heart (Soul of the Empire Storyback), by Ree Soesbee Death of Yoritomo During the Battle of Oblivion's Gate in 1133, Yoritomo was confronted by Goju Adorai who attempted to convince the Mantis Champion to join the Shadow by giving up his name, Yoritomo replied that he had already given his name to his followers. Adorai was outraged and lashed out at Yoritomo, severely wounding the Champion before fleeing. Aramasu, who had been watching nearby, raced over to his adoptive father. Dying, Yoritomo passed his leadership of the Mantis over to Aramasu. Aramasu took up his father's kama and ended The Son of Storm's agony, fulfilling the prophecies both Hitomi and Adorai had made, that Aramasu would one day kill his father. The Death of Yoritomo Mantis Clan Champion Joining the Yoritomo family The Mantis Clan was shocked to learn that Yoritomo numbered among the many dead at Oblivion's Gate, slammed in combat with Goju Adorai himself. Aramasu's first act as Mantis Clan Champion was to take the Yoritomo name, Yoritomo Aramasu. Hidden Emperor, pp. 93-94 Fall of the Alliance The Emperor Toturi I allowed the two clans still loyal to his father's Alliance, the Centipede and Wasp, to become families of the Mantis, the first reatining the Moshi family name, while the Wasp become the Tsuruchi family. Hidden Emperor, pp. 93-94 In 1137 the Minor Clans which still were in the Yoritomo's Alliance abandoned it. Aramasu viewed this as an act of hostility and expelled all minor clans from his borders. The Kolat turned Mantis public opinion against outsiders, as they sought to insure that the traitor would gain no allies for his struggling clan. Secrets of the Mantis, p. 9 Ancestral Armor of the Gusai Family A group of ronin presented to Aramasu Chousen, the Ancestral Armor of the Gusai family, which had been lost when Yoritomo wore it during the Battle of Oblivion's Gate. The Mantis Champion easily recognized them as Scorpion spies in disguise, and accepted their offer of seppuku, volunteering to stand as second for each of them in turn. Book of Earth, p. 142 War of Spirits Gusai When the returned spirit of Gusai attempted to regain the control of the Mantis Clan, support rallied behind Aramasu. Gusai was banished by Aramasu, granting him only a token honor guard. A Hero's Death, Chapter Two and Three The Mantis sided with Toturi I. Imperial Histories, p. 221 Consolidation of the Mantis In 1143 Aramasu initiated a plan to reorganize his clan to have acknowledge from other Great Clans as an equal power. The Tsuruchi were brought as messengers, magistrates, and scouts. The Moshi temples were rebuilt to honor Lord Sun. The Kolat still worked to undermine his leadership. Secrets of the Mantis, p. 9 Celestial Sword The Fortune of Steel, Xing Guo, gave the Celestial Sword of the Mantis, Nobori Raiu, to Aramasu. The Moshi Shugenja who examined the sword claimed it was the weapon that Yoritomo had deserved, but was never given. Aramasu took it, but he decided to never wield the blade. Magic of Rokugan, p. 82 The War in the Ivory Kingdoms Since 1147 Imperial Histories, p. 222 during the War of Spirits, the Mantis clan seemed to all but disappear and many thought this was Aramasu showing disfavor to the Empire. Toturi I never publicly shamed Aramasu for his actions. The reason for this was simple, Aramasu and his clan were single-handedly fighting a war in the Ivory Kingdoms against the Cult of the Destroyer. In the Mantis-Ivory Kingdoms War, Aramasu, and his forces restored their Maharaja to power. This victory avoided a dangerous shift in the balance of power within the Ivory Kingdoms, which very well could have lead to Rogukan fighting a war on two fronts. Strangers, by Rich Wulf Celestial Sword of the Mantis The sword Nobori Raiu was given to Aramasu, who declared that it seemed to be forged from lightning, rather than steel. Moshi Jukio declared that the blade was destined to be wielded by a member of Yoritomo's bloodline. Aramasu, knowing of the existance of a little sister, wore the blade but never drew it. Secrets of the Mantis, p. 12 Armor of the Shadow Warrior A mysterious abandoned ship appearing floating off shore of the Mantis coast with a magically warded crate inside bearing a single kanji upon it: Scorpion. Aramasu ordered it to be opened, and an undead Scorpion, Yogo Itoju, rose from it dressed head to toe in a suit of dark black armor. Before the monstrosity could hit the Clan Champion, he was destroyed by the Mantis. Aramasu recognized the armor as the lost Armor of the Shadow Warrior, and ordered that it should be cleansed. Aramasu swore to find the person responsible and started to prepare a trip to Otosan Uchi. A joker, Tsuburu no Oni had sent it to the Mantis as a gift from the Scorpion. Shadow Warrior, by Shawn Carman The Death Aramasu was assasinated as he visited Akodo Kaneka in Otosan Uchi offering Kaneka the favor of the Mantis. Outmaneuvred by Force (A Perfect Cut flavor) The Scorpion Clan sought vengeance against the traitor Aramasu. Shosuro Higatsuku offered Kaneka the favor of the Scorpion Clan if he aided in this vengeance. Shosuro Higatsuku (A Perfect Cut flavor) Acquiring Favor (A Perfect Cut flavor) Kaneka refused but kept quiet, showing favour to neither Scorpion nor Mantis. Outmaneuvred in Court (A Perfect Cut flavor) The vessel of Aramasu was sabotaged by Scorpion agents, Scorpion Distractor (A Perfect Cut flavor) after a Mantis was bribed, causing it to burn and sink. Persuasion (A Perfect Cut flavor) Aramasu refused the support offered by Kaneka at this moment, showing his displeasure over rejecting his previous proposal. Standing Tall (A Perfect Cut flavor) Aramasu's residence in the Imperial City was burned, leaving the Mantis Champion exposed. The Storm Legion was assigned to guard Aramasu, but when the Scorpion raid arrived only three guards out of the normal twenty were on duty. Ashes and Steel, by Rich Wulf During the melee that followed, Bayushi Kamnan Nagamaki (A Perfect Cut flavor) killed Aramasu at the request of Yoritomo Kitao to avenge the preceived dishonor Aramasu had inflicted upon the Scorpion so many years before Traitor's Grove (A Perfect Cut flavor) and thus vaulting Kitao to the position of Champion. During the Scorpion attack, the Celestial Sword Nobori Raiu, was stolen by a heimin, but a daidoji agent convinced to return it later. Kitao had been notified about her Champion's troubles, and she went to Otosan Uchi, but in the shadows actively delayed her arrival. Show of Strength (A Perfect Cut flavor) When her Mantis fleet entered the bay seeking Scorpion blood, it was the burning wreck of the Storm Legion vessel that greeted them. Kitao she killed as many Scorpion as possible, to show a proper vengeance to the rest of Rokugan. Reassert One's Mettle (A Perfect Cut flavor) Dispute over Aramasu's heir began the Mantis Civil War. No One Win (A Perfect Cut flavor) Afterlife Aramashu's Ashes Aramasu's Ashes were stolen by the Daidoji family from the Scorpion while in transit to Traitor's Grove. Doji Kurohito later offered them as a gift to Kitao. Legion of the Dead Aramasu would join the Legion of the Dead answering Matsu Goemon's call The Legion of the Dead: The Chosen Son and battle along side his father and other heroes of the past for the fate of the newly born spirit realm Maigo no Musha. During Aramasu's reliving of his past he would face his choice to betray the Scorpion Clan and his birth father Bayushi Aramoro. The vision was interrupted by the real Yoritomo killing the vision Yoritomo in disgust. Legions, Part VII Gaijin Son In 1172, during the Destroyer War, the Mantis were sent on a mission to the Ivory Kingdoms by Empress Iweko I. Duty of the Clans, by Shawn Carman During their time there they encountered a gaijin youth named Anshu who was believed to be the son of Aramasu. They also found several enormous ships, who formed the Fourth Storm. They were Aramasu's legacy to his clan in the Kingdoms. The Ruined Kingdom, Part 1, by Shawn Carman Traitor's Grove In the year 1200 the Scorpion Clan began to plot again in order to seize Aramasu's Ashes, and investigated how they could use the ashes to bond his spirit to the Grove. Scenes From the Empire 42, by Mari Murdock, Maxime Lemaire, & Shawn Carman Their plans were exposed by the Crab, who passed the knowledge to the Mantis. Spring Kotei 2015 Fiction Act 1: Opening Moves, Day 1, by Chris Hand, Maxime Lemaire, Mari Murdock, Fred Wan, and Robert Denton See also * Yoritomo Aramasu/Meta External Links * Bayushi Aramasu (Hidden Emperor) * Bayushi Aramasu Exp (Ambition's Debt) * Bayushi Aramasu Exp2 (Fire and Shadow) * Yoritomo Aramasu Exp3 (Spirit Wars) Category:Mantis Clan Leaders Bayushi Aramasu Category:Kolat Members